


the origins of alice

by evaneddie



Series: the ryder family values [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, alice is an eight year old blondie that needs a home, character death is for some strangers in an accident, judd and grace are foster parents, she likes the cowboy and his badass wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23324701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaneddie/pseuds/evaneddie
Summary: young alice is only eight years old when she calls 911 for help. she's the only one awake in the car, her parents asleep in the front seats, a terrible smell coming from underneath her, and her arm hurting more than she has ever felt in her small lifetime. judd is the only one that can calm her down at the scene, and she clings to him for dear life as the paramedics check out the extent of her injuries.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Mateo Chavez/Marjan Marwani (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Series: the ryder family values [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677421
Comments: 22
Kudos: 120





	the origins of alice

**Author's Note:**

> so this all started as some headcanons on tumblr when someone asked how i would feel about the ryder family expanding. thus came alice hanson-ryder and cash ryder.
> 
> each installment will be posted whenever, just an ongoing series that probably work best being read in order, but it's not a necessity.

**_911 what is your emergency?_ **

Judd Ryder had not been in the mood for an early shift today, not at all. But here he is, on his way to his fifth call of the day, and it's only just hit eleven in the morning, meaning his wife had already been at the call centre for the last hour. For the last two years they had been trying for a baby, two years of trying to expand their little family, and nothing had happened yet.

The last few months had been filled with an abundance of paperwork, filing for fostering and adoption. And while that seemed to be the route their lives were going, they still hadn't stopped trying to have their own biological child. Even if, by some gosh dang miracle, Grace manages to get pregnant, there would be no way on Earth they would change their minds about fostering, giving a loving and inviting home to children in need. Grace and Judd wouldn't be the type of foster parents to give up too easily on one of their placements either, no matter the struggles, they would always be there for one another, and of course plan to adopt every child that crosses their care.

Judd is tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, Grace's tossing and turning keeping him awake and alert. He didn't hold it against her though, it's not like it was her fault. Just a restless night's sleep after a handful of bad calls coming through to her. He held her all night, whispering how much he loves her and how amazing she is. Words spilling from his mouth in a soft tone without his thoughts being able to keep up, telling her hoe beautiful and strong he sees her, and placing soft kisses to her hair and her face throughout her fitful slumber.

And her voice flows through to him now over the walkie on his chest, making him smile. Sure, the 126 are about to be heading to a seemingly gruesome scene, but hearing her voice always calms him. It's unlike a serenity he's ever felt.

Looking over to where Marjan and Mateo sit side by side across from him, he notices how their hands are clasped tightly together. He notices the soft look of reassurance they give one another, and even sees the mouthing of the words 'I love you' coming from Mateo. Paul sits next to Judd, also looking at the couple across from them on the rig, saying nothing, but smiling lightly. When worst comes to worst, they all have each other, nobody here is alone, and that means the world to Judd.

TK fiddles with the silicone band on his left hand, probably thinking about Carlos at home, waiting for him to come back to him in one piece. It has never been easy for TK to make it back from intense calls unscathed, and it had become a running gag within the group about him having nine lives, like a cat. He ignores the lovey-dovey eyes the duo next to him are giving each other, and focuses on the passing scenery outside the window. It is Texas, though, so it ain't all that much scenery to look at.

Owen speaks into his headset that they are pulling up and to get ready to jump out of the truck. Calls involving kids are harder than most. So Judd knows this one is going to hit him hard.

It's Thanksgiving, he shouldn't be attending to a young girl involved in a car accident, shouldn't be preparing for the worst when it comes to her parents being supposedly unconscious and unresponsive in front of her eyes. But he is, and there's nothing he can do to change that, only help as much as possible. Help get the patients to safety, out of their crushed family car, and hopefully alive and well.

That last part seems a little too far fetched as he sees the carnage in fromt of him. It's a three car pileup just off the main highway exit, and it's bad.

Instructions are thrown around, words loud and clear over he passing vehicles and flames sky high coming from one of the cars. TK unravels the hose with the help of Paul while Judd grabs the jaws, and Owen moves with Marjan and Mateo to the other two cars.

Seconds later, the ambulance shows up on scene and the three of them spread out between the vehicles.

"Hey sweetheart, my name is Judd. I'm here to get you out, okay?" His Texan drawl is raspy, dry from no sleep, and he smiles at the young girl.

The chubby tear stained cheeks on her face look up at him, and he sees the thin trail of blood down her chin from her nose. "My arm hurts," she cries lowly. "I told Grace from the phone, she told me to keep still."

"Grace?" he asks, even though he knows more than she thinks he does, he's just trying to keep her distracted and talking. "She seems like she knows what she's talking about."

Rosewater is in the front of the silver vehicle, checking the vitals of who Judd assumes to be the child's parents. He checks for pulses, both carotid and radial, he rubs the driver's sternum vigorously with the knuckles of his right hand, before moving to do the same to the front seat passenger.

The back door doesn't budge open when he tries it, and God does he try. He uses every ounce of strength he has, but he knows that he's going to need the jaws of life, just as initially suspected. "Is Grace still on the phone with you?" he asks while looking over to Rosewater.

It's a questioning glance he sends, silently asking about the two adults in the car. The EMT shakes his head and quietly says, "DOA."

Sighing, Judd bows his head for a mere second before looking back to the eight year old in the backseat.

Her small voice speaks clearly, but like it's strangled, as if she's holding back tears. "Yeah, Grace is on the phone." Lifting the device closer to her mouth, she talks to Judd's wife. "Grace I'm keeping still like you said."

"You're doing amazingly well Alice, I'm so proud of you." A smile slips past Judd's lips, enamoured with how well Grace interacts with people, especially those in need. There is not a single doubt in his mind that she is going to make an amazing mother one day, and he's over the moon to be with her every step of the way in the journey, being a father, raising a small person into someone just as amazing as his wife.

"Alice, my love," Judd says, interrupting her focus from the phone. "This is my friend Tim, and he's going to help you put this collar on, okay?" Pointing to the man stretching between the small gap in the two front seats, Judd smiles at Alice.

Only barely can Rosewater reach her from the tight squeeze, but he manages, even if it is difficult. "Hi, this may feel uncomfortable, but it's going to help protect your neck. And, on the bright side, it's yellow like your dress."

The two of them work together to keep her talking and as calm as they can. It works for the most part, her face still scrunched in pain as Judd leans over to tell her the next few minutes are going to be loud.

She looks absolutely petrified, and Rosewater gets her eyes to focus on his face. He takes her vitals as Judd starts the tool up with a whirr and pries to back door open. The sounds are impossibly loud, the screech of metal crunching on metal, and glass shards under his boots tinkling. 

A small light gets flashed in her eyes, an oxygen mask - Judd assumes probably has some child friendly painkillers in the gas - gets placed gently over her mouth, and a gauze is placed on the cut on her forehead. There's slightly more colour in her face than there was when help arrived, which is obviously a good sign. But it's only going to go downhill from here.

The circulation in her hand is being cut off from the way her entire left arm is wedged between the front driver seat and the inside of the car. It's clearly broken her small bones, and Judd wants to be sick at how much poor Alice is going through right now.

As soon as Judd gets the door apart, things look even worse. Up close, a lot of things do. He's kneeling down beside her, telling her to just keep breathing and that she's doing great.

"I'm still right here with you, Alice. You're going to be okay. Do you know why?" Grace's soothing voice comes over the speaker of the phone. 

Judd once again interrupts the conversation, "Alice here has an oxygen mask on and can't reply to you right now. You won't be able to hear her."

With that, Grace continues speaking. "Judd is my husband." Alice's eyes widen in surprise, not at all expecting that news. "That's right, Alice. My Judd is an awesome man, and an even better firefighter, and I know he's going to do everything he can to help you."

She's not wrong. Judd would give anyone everything he has if it meant saving them out in the field. 

"Alice, I have to use this machine again to get your arm out of there okay. It's probably going to hurt, a lot, but you are so strong and brave. If you place the phone on your lap, I'm sure Tim will hold your hand," Judd tells her. 

He watches as her eyes well up with more unshed tears, clearly scared about what's to come. He watches as her right hand clasps itself into Rosewater's, tightening as hard as she can.

The screams of pain he hears next will haunt him for the rest of his life. The sobs can be heard over the loud power and force of the machine, and he will never be able to erase them from his memory. May God have mercy on this poor child's soul.

As soon as her arm is free, Judd is dropping the jaws and helping a one handed Rosewater stabilise it, putting a splint around it and giving her soothing words of comfort.

When they get her onto the backboard, she asks about her parents. "What about my Ma and Pa?"

How do you tell the sweetest eight year old girl that is coming out of a violent car accident that her parents didn't make it, but she did? How do you tell a little girl that God can't bring back her mother and father? 

When he doesn't respond in the first ten seconds, it basically answers her question. Tears don't stop streaming down her face as she cries and reaches for Judd's hand with her uninjured one. "I'm so sorry sweetheart, I'm sorry."

Letting go of her hand, he says, "I have to go help my team with the other cars. You're in good hands." As he turns away Alice starts to cry more, screaming out for Judd. He doesn't know why she's calling out to him, doesn't know why she feels so strongly for him already. 

In an instant, Owen is by his side, clapping him on the shoulder and telling him to go to the hospital with her. As Judd agrees, back up arrives, and it is no longer just the one team spread across the entire accident scene.

Closing his eyes, and doing the sign of the cross, Judd takes a breath, and heads towards where Rosewater is loading Alice onto the back of the ambulance, Gillian coming to his side, ready to start driving.

The entire way, Alice holds Judd's hand, the contrast in sizing huge. Her whole hand fits perfectly around two of his fingers, and he's keeping her company as she cries. Cries at the lost of her parents, cries in pain from the gash on her head to the broken bone in her arm, cries in fear of going to the hospital.

* * *

"She really has no family left?" Grace asks the social worker, her arm wound around Judd's, neither of them talking loud enough to wake the now finally sleeping child. 

It's twelve hours after the call, and Alice is recovering well. The wound on her head was glued closed, and most likely won't leave much of a scar. Surgery was performed on her tiny arm, fixing the bone in place and any other damage that was done during the crash.

"No, and since she has formed a close bond with the both of you, and you guys are officially registered foster carers, we would like to offer her a placement with you. It's Thanksgiving, nobody else will be able to take her in on such short notice, she would be placed in a group home, and those are never pretty." The social worker - Penelope, if Judd remembers correctly - holds a stack of papers in one arm, runs her other through her shoulder length brown bob, and has a crossbody bag slung over her left shoulder. 

"Judson?" Grace asks, turning to him. "You okay with this baby?"

Looking at the small body of the fragile blonde girl that stole his heart in a flash laying in the overly large pristine hospital bed, Judd smiles, giving a short nod. "Let's do it. Let's make Alice our first foster."

**Author's Note:**

> grudd spotify playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wJmoBV2eXAFtu8vggXpW8?si=MVesEMyYTKOR-Mld5WphXg


End file.
